Whilst I was in Goa at Easter I read in the local paper about the situation regarding baggage handlers and how the system works.Basically the airport sells the concession for handling baggage every three years and goes to the highest bidder. The handlers then buy licenses from whoever wins the concession. The licenses cost approx £300 per year and a monthly comission of approx £35 must also be paid. The average take for a handler is £100 per month before license and comission fees. This means they have a relatively good income however the problem is that there is no restriction on the number of licenses that can be sold therefore the number of handlers exceeds demand and a free for all scrum erupts each time a charter plane lands.
Authorities have had the brilliant idea of restricting the licenses but no idea of how to implement it.
Any suggestions??
Can only say 'Only in Goa', but sorry no suggestions
That`s interesting to read, but Goa being Goa I doubt it will ever get sorted out, too many people making money out of the licensing to regulate it properly I would think 
P.S. I`m back on the net btw on my new pc, the other blew up
P.S. I`m back on the net btw on my new pc, the other blew up
The implementation of this is imo fairly straight forward.
Have, say 100 licenses available - by this i mean, number them, print them out, counterfeit proof them (photo's, signatures etc ) - and only give out 100 on a first come first serve basis. I think perhaps raising the monthy license fee slightly and employing a few guards that will always be at the airport, to keep an eye on things, is the key here.
Its not really that hard to implement - i think the controlling of it would be the hardest part - hence the guards or some sort of secruity.
Have, say 100 licenses available - by this i mean, number them, print them out, counterfeit proof them (photo's, signatures etc ) - and only give out 100 on a first come first serve basis. I think perhaps raising the monthy license fee slightly and employing a few guards that will always be at the airport, to keep an eye on things, is the key here.
Its not really that hard to implement - i think the controlling of it would be the hardest part - hence the guards or some sort of secruity.
I,m afraid it would'nt be quite that simple, as it is the Indian Army who supplies the security at the Airport and as the entire Indian economy seems to operate on bribes, from the Police right up through all levels of Goverment, any simple system to solve this problem would be doomed to failure from the start Alan
The easiest way to sole the problem would be - NOT TO GIVE TIPS! - hence they wouldn't want to try and take your trolley off you and there would be no problem... SIMPLE! 
Totaly Confused
I thought the Baggage Handlers were employed to sort and load the checked in baggage onto the Aircraft, and vice-versa on arrival,and that the porters are there to provide a service for passengers if required
I thought the Baggage Handlers were employed to sort and load the checked in baggage onto the Aircraft, and vice-versa on arrival,and that the porters are there to provide a service for passengers if required
That's a simplistic answer 
. It's the sort of answer that's OK, for able bodied travellers....oh, and HT'ers. What about the people who really DO need the handlers 
. It's the sort of answer that's OK, for able bodied travellers....oh, and HT'ers. What about the people who really DO need the handlers
just returned one of the most astonishing things I saw was a baggage handler pushing the bags for a family on a trolly from the taxi to the security point - about 20 30 metres and asking for 800 rupees AND GETTING IT
now I'm lost- are we talking about baggage handlers or porters?
Baggage Handlers move your luggage from check-in to the plane, and from the plane to baggage reclaim. Porters are the blokes who pounce on you at baggage reclaim, or any place between there and your coach or taxi.
ve94n - They will still provide porter/baggage handlers like they do at most airports but it just gets past the mad rush to try and take everybodies bags off them, many who really don't want someone else taking their luggage for them. I've spent many a time at the airport watching how they do it, pretending to be from a holiday group and then asking for a ridiculous tip (even though they wear the metal madaleons round their neck that say - no tips! - although they're often hideen in their shirt pocket (design floor their I think!!!)
Goa has wheelchairs and fast checks for disabled passengers which are seperate to the guys who push you out of the way to get hold of the baggage....
Goa has wheelchairs and fast checks for disabled passengers which are seperate to the guys who push you out of the way to get hold of the baggage....
Aside from 'people with a disability' there are others who genuinely NEED assistance.
Then you should be able to ASK for assistance and not have it forced on you... I flew scheduled this year and when we arrived at Dabolim there were hardly any porters around. Obviously no gullible tourists to rip off..
I flew scheduled this year and when we arrived at Dabolim there were hardly any porters around. Obviously no gullible tourists to rip off..
Hmm, interesting view:
- and, possibly a very narrow oneThen you should be able to ASK for assistance and not have it forced on you...
Somewhat confused here about people in need of assistance?? and the issue about asking for help if "needed" rather than having it forced upon them if not required. I have travelled quite a bit and covered many airports wordwide and Dabolim is by far the worst I have experienced regarding porter nuisance (for want of a better word!) If people are disabled they can request assistance, if others "need" assistance they can also request and pay for the extra service, I have seen many so called disabled people travelling, who once away from the airport suddenly leap out of their wheelchairs having been fast tracked through the systems of immigration etc. As for those who claim to need assistance perhaps try travelling with less baggage. 
Needless to say I am not a Dabolim porter fan! 
Needless to say I am not a Dabolim porter fan!
The worst place I found for porters was Montego Bay Jamaica it was the pits, and the porters were very aggressive they wouldn't take no for an answer and had a death grip on your trolley that they pushed about five yards to a set of bollards and then demanded a £1 coin, then another porter the other side of the bollards grabbed your cases put them on his trolley pushed it another thirty yards to the bus and also demanded a £1, this was a good few years ago and a £1 was worth a lot more then than now.
And the towns were just as bad, it was the aggression that they used to get your money that really spoilt a fantastic country, don't no if it has changed since then but it wasn't a place for the nervous unless you gave them what they asked for.
Alan
And the towns were just as bad, it was the aggression that they used to get your money that really spoilt a fantastic country, don't no if it has changed since then but it wasn't a place for the nervous unless you gave them what they asked for.
Alan
Do you know something Alan....Jamaica is the only place in the world where I have ever felt threatened!! When we got off the plane we where met by menacing looking youths with baseball bats.......bizarre!! The Porters were obnoxious, didn't fancy saying NO to any of them! They made the Dabolim porters look like pussycats. Paid our TIP and rushed to the waiting bus as soon as we could. Pity really because it's a beautiful place.
GFFxx
GFFxx
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